


Of Bread Knives and Peruvian Lilies

by madameseahorse



Series: A Day in the Life of Carla Jaeger [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/F, F/M, Flower meanings, Flowers, Gen, Language of Flowers, M/M, MTF Mikasa - Freeform, Trans Character, Transitioning, ftm armin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-27
Updated: 2015-12-27
Packaged: 2018-05-09 09:41:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5535146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madameseahorse/pseuds/madameseahorse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>*alstroemeria-Also known as the Peruvian Lily. However, I doubt anyone in the Walls knows this. They probably don't even know where Peru is anymore.</p><p>Finally, chapter two! I will try to have the next chapter up sooner this time. This is for rurrie for Christmas. I hope I am portraying Mikasa and Armin correctly. I have never written trans characters before I started this story. I don't intend to offend anyone. And Mikasa only assumed that Armin was a transgirl because Mikasa is a transgirl herself. She grew up very isolated and may not have thought that trans guys existed even though she is trans. That, and she felt like she was the only person in the world who has to struggle with her biological sex and her gender. The next chapter will have Eren in it more, and Carla, since her name is in the title. I don't know how long I will make this fic. Shoot me any ideas for mother-daughter fluff between Carla and Mikasa. I need them. Thank you for reading!</p></blockquote>





	Of Bread Knives and Peruvian Lilies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rurrie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rurrie/gifts).



Mikasa spent the early morning drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep. When she woke up, Carla was nowhere to be seen. It was around noon, judging from the sunlight shining in thru the window.  
Yellow flowers grew in the box outside the window. They looked similar to lilies, but smaller.  
Looking at them made her sad. Her mother loved to garden. They grew most of their own fruits and vegetables, but the flower garden had been her pride and joy. She taught Mikasa that flowers had significance beyond just being pretty to look at. Back before humanity was confined to the Walls, people gave certain flowers to convey certain feelings and emotions.  
I wonder what these mean, she thought glumly.  
\---------  
She walked out of the master bedroom. Mrs. Jaeger let her sleep there. Mikasa tried to refuse, even though it had been almost five in the morning and the queen-sized bed was practically calling her name.  
“I can sleep somewhere else.”  
Carla gave her a knowing look.  
“You need to rest. I will sleep in the living room.” She pulled back the comforter back.  
“What about Dr. Jaeger?”  
“Oh, he’ll be up as soon as the sun comes up,” she said nonchalantly as she fluffed the pillows.  
Mikasa frowned.  
“But he has been up all night. Isn’t he tired?”  
“He’ll be fine.” She did not offer an explanation.  
Mikasa reluctantly let her help her onto the huge bed.  
“Sleep tight.”  
She could see Carla’s hand move to pat her head, but she hesitated and patted beside the pillow instead.  
\---------

She made her way to the kitchen. There was a bowl of fruit on the table. Since she lived her now, she might as well help herself.  
There was a knock at the front door. Mikasa froze.  
Maybe they will go away.  
She prayed to herself. Another knock. This time, it was louder and more urgent.  
The doorknob began to turn. Her eyes darted around the unfamiliar room, looking for a place to hide. Or maybe hiding was a bad idea. She didn’t want to be stuck somewhere that she couldn’t get out from in a hurry.  
A gleam of silver caught her eye. A knife stuck halfway in a loaf of bread. Remembering how affective the knife last night had been, she grabbed it and steadied herself. If need be, she knew she could kill again.  
The door opened. A blond child with a bowl haircut came in. They jumped at the sight of Mikasa. The two of them stared at each other for a moment.  
“Um, hi. Is Doctor Jaeger here?”  
She shook her head.  
The blond offered a shaky hand.  
“I’m Armin Arlert.”  
Somewhat reluctantly, she put the knife back in the bread and took his hand.  
“I’m Mikasa Ackerman.”  
“It’s nice to meet you. Uh, is Dr. Jaeger here?”  
“Why do you want to know?” she asked suspiciously.  
“Well, I’m um a patient of his. I needed to get some medicine,” he said lamely.  
Mikasa was about to ask what kind of medicine when a sleepy looking Eren came in the kitchen.  
Armin perked up.  
“Hi, Eren. Is your dad home?”  
Mikasa had only known Eren for a day, but she knew already that he didn’t wake up easily. Several times on the ride back, Dr. Jaeger would hit a rock or a fallen branch. Eren seemed to wake up. He even said some very choice words about his father’s driving, but quickly fell asleep again.  
“Armin? What are you doing here so early?”  
“It’s one-thirty in the afternoon. Honestly, did you just wake up?”  
“What day is it?”  
“Sunday.”  
Eren’s eyes widened, suddenly wide awake.  
“Shit. Um, I don’t think my parents are home.” He looked around frantically, as if he had somehow missed his parents standing in the kitchen.  
“Do you know where he is?”  
Mikasa watched the two boys talk. They spoke in hushed tones. Armin must need some sort of medicine if he was visiting a doctor’s house on a Sunday. He was rather small and pale. Kind of sickly-looking.  
“Maybe I can come back later. I mean, it isn’t medically necessary.”  
“NO! Don’t you dare say that! Don’t let those bullies get in your head.”  
“But maybe I don’t need- “  
“The hell with what people say you need. You need it! You need to be a boy!”  
Suddenly, it made sense. Armin must be getting hormone treatment. After all, Dr. Jaeger was giving her the same treatments.  
And the way Eren shouted that they needed to be a boy...  
If someone told her that…  
Mikasa got between Armin and Eren.  
“Armin can be whatever they want,” she said firmly.  
Eren nodded.  
“Damn straight!”  
“Then don’t pressure her!”  
“Him. Armin prefers him.”  
This time, Armin got between the two of them.  
“Eren, I think she misunderstood.”  
“But I thought you were transgender.”  
Armin scratched his head nervously.  
“Well, yes. I was born a girl, but- “He paused. ‘Transgender’ was not a word he heard very often. Dr. Jaeger taught it to him. It had been a relief to know that there was a word to describe him.  
Eren put on his jacket and headed to the door.  
“Where are you going?” Mikasa asked.  
“I’m going to go look for Dad.” He opened the door and looked at them expectantly.  
“Aren’t you two coming with me?”  
She nodded somewhat hesitantly. Living in a mountain cabin, the Ackerman’s really didn’t get much company. They were pretty much outcasts, due to their name, her mother’s race, and Mikasa’s gender. Add that to the fact that she was in a new and unfamiliar town, and the events of yesterday made her slightly nervous.  
“Well?” Eren prompted.  
Then again, after the events of yesterday, she felt like she could take on any foe.  
As they left the house, they walked past Mrs. Jaeger’s window.  
“Are those lilies?” she asked.  
“Hm? Oh, those? Those are Alstroemeria.* They symbolize the twists and turns of friendships. And devotion,” Armin explained eagerly.  
“Oh.” She smiled. A transgender boy who knew about flower meanings. Maybe life here wouldn’t be so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> *alstroemeria-Also known as the Peruvian Lily. However, I doubt anyone in the Walls knows this. They probably don't even know where Peru is anymore.
> 
> Finally, chapter two! I will try to have the next chapter up sooner this time. This is for rurrie for Christmas. I hope I am portraying Mikasa and Armin correctly. I have never written trans characters before I started this story. I don't intend to offend anyone. And Mikasa only assumed that Armin was a transgirl because Mikasa is a transgirl herself. She grew up very isolated and may not have thought that trans guys existed even though she is trans. That, and she felt like she was the only person in the world who has to struggle with her biological sex and her gender. The next chapter will have Eren in it more, and Carla, since her name is in the title. I don't know how long I will make this fic. Shoot me any ideas for mother-daughter fluff between Carla and Mikasa. I need them. Thank you for reading!


End file.
